Soil-milling machine



l.. E. PAGAN sonl MILLING MACHINE:

Original Filed. Jan. 6, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet .h IL l.

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UCL 22, 1929. L, E PAGAN 1,732,883

SOIL MILLING MACHINE Original Filed Jan. 6, 1927 2 SheetsjSheet 2 Z620 Z? UQ @06f/f? UNrrEo LEWIS E. FAG-AN, lF CEHGAGO, LLINOIS SOILJ/IILLING MACHINE Application filed January 6, 1927, Serial No. 159,293.

1U the. parts, the noise and the power required to operate them. Moreover dirt, weeds, and stalks gather upon the spades of the milling cylinder and they soon become clogged with such material, with the result that they do 15 not operate successfully. When parts thereof become broken or worn out, time is lost because of the difficulty in removing the broken or worn out part and replacing it with a new one.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a soil milling cylinder which shall be simple, but rugged and of substantial construction, one in which any blade may be quickly and readily removed and replaced in case it becomes broken or useless from other causes. Another obiect is to provide a soil` milling cylinder which shall be self cleaning,

whereby the. possibility of becoming clogged with dirt, weeds, stalks and so forth is re- 0 duced to a minimum.

With these ends in view, this invention consists in a soil milling cylinder having readily detachable and replaceable blades. It further consists in a soil milling cylinder in which the strain on the blades is borne by elements of the blades and their supports, whereby the fastening means, such as bolts and nuts, may be substantially free from such strains. lt further consists in a soil milling cylinder having blades of a form or shape designed to render the cylinder self cleaning. It further consists in a soil milling cylinder for which less power is required for its operation than heretofore, and one in which the soil is more thoroughly broken up and prepared for sowing than heretofore. The invention further consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

Renewed March 30, 1929.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying` drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a plan, partly broken out, of a soil milling cylinder, embodying a simple form of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section thereof taken on the line 2-2 of Fig'. l; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a blade supporting plate used for connect-ing the blades with the cylinder shaft, and Fig. Ll is a perspective view of one of the blades.

Referring to said drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the present invention, the reference character 5 designates the cylinder shaft, which is journaled in bearings 6 carried upon frame member 7. The frame members comprise part of a supporting frame for the cylinder, and said frame is connected to the tractor (not shown) or other means for drawing the cylinder along the ground. The cylinder shaft 5 is rotated by suitable drive mechanism, as for instance a sprocket who 8 mounted on the cvlin der shaft and a sprocket chain (not shown) driven from some power shaft of the tractor. where one is employed to operate the cylinder. In some cases the cylinder may be supported on a wheeled frame, and the cylinder may then be driven from the traction wheels of the wheeled frame. i

The cylinder occupies the space between the frame members 7 and is mounted on said cylinder shaft. Between the bearings 6 the cylinder shaft 5 may be made non-circular in form or otherwise arranged whereby the cylinder may be mounted therein against rotation relative thereto. In the drawings the cylinder shaft is shown at 9 as hexagonal in cross section, and mounted upon said hexagonal portion against rotation relative thereto are spaced, blade supporting plates 10. Said plates may be formed with hexagonal centrally located holes 11 into which the hexagonal part of the cylinder shaft lits fairly well. Interposed between the blade supporting plates are spacing struts, here shown in the form of short sleeves 12 which fit around the cylinder shaft and abut against the sides of the blade supporting plates 10. Any suitable means may be provided beyond the end plates'lO, for clamping the plates and sleeves together, and for this purpose a collar 14 may be secured on the cylinder shaft at one end, and clamping means 15 may be secured to the shaftY at the other end. The shape of the plates is immaterial and for convenience they may be made square. To obtain an efficient spacing of the blades the alternate and intermediate plates are. disposed at an angle of forty-five degrees relative to each other. This may be accomplished byvsetting the holes 11 of the alternate plates at an angle of forty-five degrees to the holes of the intermediate plates.

The blades 16 are detachably secured to the pla-tes 10, andas shown project from the corners thereof, the blades of the alternate plates vbeing in alignment, as a preference, andthe blades Vof the intermediate plates being alignment but spaced approximately fortyefive degrees apartl from the alternate blades. Viith :this arrangement of blades, .the :alternate ones enter the ground simultaneously andthe intermediate ones enter the ground simultaneously but at places `in ad- Vance of the alternate ones.

The blades are substantially similar in con` struction, although some are arranged for .connection on one side of the plates and others forv connection on the kother side thereof. Fig. 4 illustrates the shape and construction of the blades. Each Vblade comprises a body v.orfdigging portion 17,' which contains a fiat part 18 that extends from the tip end 18a towards the blade supporting plate in a direc- .tional tangential to an arc lof a circle of substantially the same diameter as the blade supporting plate. Said flat part occupies approximately one-half the length vof the body vportion 17 and merges into a curved part 19 which merges into a straight part 20 Vextending in va direction approximately radial with `respect to the shaft.` One vedge of the body rportion 17 of the blade coincides with a side face of the blade supporting plate 10, with `the .body portion 17 lying wholly to one side fof said plate. The blade is formed with a Y rib `E21 ron its rear side which'runs from the Cdl which is contiguous with the plate tip end to plate, where it is widened and offset .as ait-.22 and is given a shape conforming generally'to .the Acorner portion of the plate to whichffthe blade is secured. In the present vinstance the' plate bei-ng square in shape the .two edges 23, 23 are made to extend at right angles to each other, thereby coinciding` with V`the adjacent edges of the plate, 'and the edge 24Vmay fornithe third side of a triangle. .The part 22voffthe blade is flat on the side and bears against said side of the plate, and projecting from `said flat side of the part 22 are two lugs 25, which extend at right angles to the part Q2 Vand engage the plate in notches 26, which y yare formed in the edge portion of theV plate i' midway between the corners thereof, r.The

blades are secured to the plate by bolts and nuts 27, which serve merely to hold the blades on the plate, but the bolts may fit loosely in the bolt holes in the blades inasmuch as none of the shearing strain is placed upon them. All of the strain on the blades, which results from the digging operation, is therefore transmitted to the plates through the lugs E25, which engage directly with the plates, and any danger of shearing off the bolts is therefore eliminated.

I find that excellent results are obtained by placing two of the blades at diametrically opposite places on one side of the plate, and placing two other blades on the other side of the plate, and spaced ninety degrees apart from the first mentioned blades. This arrangement spaces all of the blades on each plate ninety degrees apart, which is a veiy effective arrangement. The two oppositely disposed blades are Wholly on one side of the plate and the two other blades are wholly on the other side of the plate, consequently they enter the ground at closely spaced staggered places. rlhe blades are formed of hard material which cannot be machined and drilled readily, consequently the lug and notch connection between the blades and plates provides a connection which is substantial, .rugged and not likely to become injured.

In use the soil milling` machine is drawn along the ground as usual, and the cylinder revolved at a relatively high speed. The blades enter the ground and their tip ends take the paths indicated by the dotted lines a, lin F ig. 2, thus cutting and digging up the soil and discharging the broken up pieces toward the rear. Cbviously the exact cutting line taken by the blades depends upon the forward speed of the machine relative to the rotatorial speed of the cylinder and the dotted lines shown are therefore only schematic. ASome of the dirt falls from the sides of the blades, but that which is carried back with them is thrown backwards and scattered. Likewise any weeds, stalks, and the like are discharged from the blades on account of the centrifugal action thereon. Practically none lodges on the blades -or plates, and the cylinder is therefore kept practically free from weeds, stalks, and the like.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a soil milling machine cylinder, the combination of a power driven shaft, spaced, flat, blade supporting plates mounted thereon against rotation relative thereto, and blades bolted to the fiat sides of said plates. said blades having laterally projecting strain transmitting connections engaging in the edge portions of the plates for relieving the bolts of strains.

2. In a soil milling machine cylinder, the combination of a power driven shaft, spaced blade supporting plates mounted thereon against rotation relative thereto, and blades bolted to said plates, said blades having laterally projecting strain transmitting lugs engaging in the edges of notches in said plates, and relieving the bolts of strains.

3. ln a soil milling machine cylinder, the combination of a power driven shaft, spaced blade supporting plates mounted thereon against rotation relative thereto, and formed with equidistant notches in their edges, blades, one set for each plate, some of which are disposed wholly at one side of the plate and others disposed wholly at the other side thereof, all of said blades having strain transmitting lugs engaging in said notches in the plate, and connecting means for securing the blades on the plates.

1l. In a soil milling machine cylinder, the combination of a shaft having a non-circular portion, intermediate its ends, a plurality of blade supporting plates having central openings through which said noncircular portion of the shaft extends in driving contact therewith, sleeves interposed between said plates and spacing them apart and blades having laterally projecting strain transmitting lugs engtliging in notches in the plates, bolted to said p ates.

5. In a soil milling machine cylinder, the combination of a shaft, spaced blade supporting plates mounted thereon against rotation relative thereto, and blades interlockingly secured to said plates, said blades having relatively wide digging faces extending laterally of the plates and the tip ends of said blades extending at an angle of approximately sixty degrees to the vertical, at their points of entrance into the soil.

6. ln a soil milling machine cylinder, the combination of a power driven shaft, spaced fiat blade supporting plates mounted thereon against rotation relative thereto, and having notches in their edges, and blades bolted to the fiat sides of the plates, the alternate blades of a plate being located on one side thereof and the intermediate ones on the other side thereof, and all of the blades having laterally projecting lugs entering said notches and engaging the edges thereof to relieve the bolts of strains, each notch being arranged to receive a lug of a blade on one side of the plate and lug of an adjacent blade on the other side of the plate.

7. ln a soil milling machine cylinder, the combination of a power driven shaft, spaced flat blade supporting plates mounted thereon against rotation relative thereto, and having notches in their edges, and blades bolted to the flat sides of the plates, the alternate blades being located on one side thereof and the intermediate ones on the other side thereof, and all of the blades having laterally projecting lugs entering said notches and engaging the edges thereof to relieve the bolts of strains, the bolt receiving portions of the blades on one side of each plate overlapping those on the other side thereof, whereby one and the same bolt may secure the adjacent bolt receiving portions of two blades to the plate.

LEWIS E. FAGAN. 

